1) Describe your business in two sentences.We are an Italian artisan bakery specializing in nut based cookies that were always #glutenfree #grainfree and #dairyfree. Our amaretti cookie is based on a family recipe.

2) How long have you been making, and what got you started?After working in the corporate food industry in marketing for many years, I wanted to start a company with product with real and simple ingredients like my mom used to make. ​

3) What can shoppers expect to see from you this market season?​You will see almond, chocolate almond, lemon hazelnut and chocolate hazelnut Italian cookies that were always #glutenfree #dairyfree.

4) What product are you most excited about right now?​I am obsessed with anything with chocolate in it.

1) Describe your business in two sentences.At Preservation Society we make preserves and teach preserving. We jar fruit-forward jams, crystalline jellies, hand-cut marmalades, and intoxicating chutneys using local ingredients as much as possible.

2) How long have you been making, and what got you started?Preservation Society got its official start in 2011, but I'd already been preserving manically for a few years, starting when I made my first marmalade as a pastry cook at a fancy restaurant in Montreal.

3) What can shoppers expect to see from you this market season?I'm very excited to be a part of a market in Hamilton for the first time-- my new home! I'll be there with our exceptional line of creative, lower sugar, handmade jams, jellies, marmalades, and chutney, as well as my cookbook, and tshirts, tea towels and tote bags for preserve lovers.

4) What product are you most excited about right now?A limited edition Mulled Wine Marmalade for the holidays!

5) What is your biggest source of creative inspiration?Nearly anything food-related! From childhood memories, to cocktails, to desserts, from cookbooks to the market. If I have anything, it's an abundance of ideas.

​1) Describe your business in two sentences.Vamped Up Vintage is a two-woman rescue team for abandoned furniture and household objects. We turn trash into treasure and zeroes into heroes!

2) How long have you been making, and what got you started?We have been doing this for almost 2 years now! It originally started as a once-a-week "Creativity Night" where we would work on individual projects (Maggie on graphic design creations, and Nell on furniture upcycling). We eventually realized it made sense to merge our skills and talents, and so Vamped Up Vintage got rolling!

3) What can shoppers expect to see from you this market season?Lots and lots of adorable pillows with unique fabrics and small (easy to carry!) furniture pieces. We are also going to offer original cards and prints for the very first time!

4) What product are you most excited about right now?We are always stoked about our awesome pillows, but are very excited to present our new line of original cards and prints.

5) What is your biggest source of creative inspiration?Colour, print, and pattern... it's all around us (like the force). ​

1) Describe your business in two sentences. We have always been drawn to wool and its special properties. With a focus on eco-friendliness coupled with a high level of craftsmanship, we craft felted wool into mittens, teddy bears, and dryer balls.2) How long have you been making, and what got you started? It was only last year that we had our first holiday show. Before that we only dabbled in crafting but with our decision to retire and devote more time, things are starting to fall into place for us. The more we learned about wool…naturally fire and water-resistant, combats mold and mildew and is unappealing to dust mites, makes a great insulator and is considered to be a renewable and biodegradable resource…the more passionate we became about making upcycled items.

3) What can shoppers expect to see from you this market season? Products that are unique and extremely well made. In addition to mittens, dryer balls, and teddy bears, we have been making Christmas ornaments too. It is a great use for our leftover scraps. We love taking something old and making it new again. ​4) What product are you most excited about right now? Our mittens…hands down. We have a new Polartec lining from New Hampshire that is not only super warm and durable, it is made from 89% recycled plastic bottles. We have also discovered how to make felted wool cording from our sweaters to add to the fronts of our mittens and source antique buttons to adorn cuffs. No two pairs are alike and our mittens add interest and style to winter fashion.

5) What is your biggest source of creative inspiration? Feedback from our customers and an awareness of our carbon footprint. ​

1) Describe your business in two sentences.I (Christina Perris) am a studio jeweller that strives to make quality sterling silver jewellery that is comfortable and easy to wear. I find inspiration in the beautiful forms found in nature, my belief is that less is more…and with this in mind most people are able to fall in love with a piece of jewellery that I have made!

2) How long have you been making, and what got you started? I have been making jewellery since I was a little girl, with the inherent desire to create. I eventually upgraded my licorice string-froot loop and plastic beaded necklaces by going to Georgian College for the Jewellery & Metals diploma program. I began my jewellery education in September 2012 and have been making jewellery using traditional silversmithing and goldsmithing techniques ever since. After completing my undergraduate degree in 2011 I was working as a recruiter for the university, travelling across Ontario. I met an artisan jeweller that told me her story of “watching for the signs” and being guided to a silversmithing class in Mexico. I purchased a necklace from her and went on my way…but she planted the initial seed that would later grow into a dream. Through my travels all around Ontario in the subsequent months, I too experienced signs from the universe that were too uncanny to ignore. I applied to college for the following September and began the next leg of my journey. No skill has every felt so natural in my entire life – there is no doubt in my mind that I am doing what I am meant to do.

3) What can shoppers expect to see from you this market season?This market season shopper can expect to see more pearls and gemstone accents in my work. Although I have maintained my simple aesthetic of clean lines and organic forms there are little pops of colour and sparkle here and there.

4) What product are you most excited about right now? I have been recycling quite a bit of old silver that is allowing me to generate a really neat texture in my work. I think the contrast of that, with clean lines, is really appealing. I am having a lot of fun playing around with this and I think that is pretty evident in seeing my work.

​5) What is your biggest source of creative inspiration? My biggest source of creative inspiration is the world around me. I think it’s interesting how much media coverage there is right now about people being focused on their screens and phones while walking – most of my biggest ideas have come from seeing a simple form or pattern in the environment around me while I’m going about my daily life. Whether it is a pattern in ironwork, an interesting flower/leaf or a feeling that I get when I see something unexpected for the first time (like beautiful graffiti!) I hope that my work inspires people to take a minute out of their busy lives and appreciate something simple in their day.

1) Describe your business in two sentences. Bell+Whistle is a casual, women's accessory design boutique with a focus on beautiful details and everyday versatility. All of the designs are also vegan friendly, using natural materials and faux leathers.

2) How long have you been making, and what got you started?I have been making for Bell+Whistle for almost 2 years now, but have been sewing and designing for a very long time. I have always been into anything artsy, mixing mediums and materials to come up with something new. When my daughter Lily was born I decided to stay home with her, and I no longer had any excuses to not do what I love doing, so Bell+Whistle was born! I take my love for art and designing and build that into my shop designs to offer truly one of a kind items.

3) What can shoppers expect to see from you this market season?This season I am so excited to be introducing my brand new fall/ winter collection based around a beautiful deep navy and accented with complementary neutrals and pops of soft colours. Nutopia Soul, the new collection is also featuring my brand new designs including the swoon worthy Maria bag! I am also featuring the seasonal winter accessories collection with new hat, scarf, and mitten designs.

4) What product are you most excited about right now?This is always such a hard question for me to answer haha, I can narrow it down to the new Maria bag, and the awesome slouchy winter hats that have giant oversized faux fur poms!​

5) What is your biggest source of creative inspiration?For my product designs my biggest inspiration is always everyday problems that we face. For example I came up with the idea for the little headphone wraps because I was so over untangling my headphones from out of my purse, or the lip chap cozy because who wants to dig their lip chap from the bottom of their bag every time they need it? The details and colours I choose I am inspired by the outdoors, or a fabric I find that I feel the need to put onto everything, but overall for this part of my collections I really find inspiration everywhere!

1) Describe your business in two sentences.Bespoke tea blended with love by Katie. I'm a Hamilton Tea Sommelier who loves sharing the art of tea time across Canada!

2) How long have you been making, and what got you started?Monarch Tea has been in business for 3.5 years. I started drinking tea at a young age with my grandmother, who always had room for a comforting cup of Irish Breakfast tea! We would sit down with the delicate china and I would enjoy the ritual and calming nature that tea time brings. Years later, I started experimenting with creating my own types of tea blends with herbs and spices that intrigued me. From there, Monarch Tea grew into a full time venture! I recently completed my Tea Sommelier certification through the Tea Board of Canada, so I love implementing that into my business and offering tea talks and workshops from bridal showers to corporate talks across the GTA!

​3) What can shoppers expect to see from you this market season?Unique blends that are perfect for crisp Winter evening as well as gift packs perfect for the tea lover in your life.

​4) What product are you most excited about right now?I start every morning with my Cream Earl Grey. It's a yummy Sri Lankan black tea with gentle vanilla notes that soothes and invigorates. I'm excited to share it with others!

5) What is your biggest source of creative inspiration?There are so many amazing reference books on herbs and tea. I love to read, so I have an ever expanding collection of tea related books that help inspire me in my blending and business.

1) Describe your business in two sentences.I am a very enthusiastic self-employed watercolour artist with a newfound love of embroidery and many other crafts! I sell greeting cards, prints, custom house portraits, and embroidery work locally and online.

2) How long have you been making, and what got you started?I'm a lifelong maker of things! I learned watercolour from a local artist when I was 12, but let my watercolour practice slide for years until about 7 years ago when I started blogging and illustrating scenes from my life. Those (very hilariously bad!) early sketches evolved with time and practice into an art career! My favourite things to paint now are botanical watercolours and custom portraits of peoples homes, and that has been the bulk of my work over the last few years. In the summer I took an embroidery and natural dye class with Needlework Instructor Thea Haines and fell head over heels for hand embroidery, and am grateful that people seem to want to purchase embroidery as well as watercolours!

3) What can shoppers expect to see from you this market season?At the market I will be featuring my new embroidery work, greeting cards, and prints of my botanical paintings!

4) What product are you most excited about right now?Although I am currently obsessed with embroidery, my heart lies always with my botanical work and I get so excited unpacking new prints from the printers.

5) What is your biggest source of creative inspiration?Nature is my biggest source of inspiration. Much of my work features plants, and our family has a yearly membership to the Royal Botanical Gardens, where I take hundreds and hundreds of reference photos and sketches. A simple walk through our own garden at home can keep me busy for days, especially in the spring while I avidly watch all of the new arrivals peek out of the ground!

1) Describe your business in two sentences.We make unique and somewhat punny greeting cards. We also donate 10% of every card purchase to a woman’s organization. We believe in having a greater purpose and making a little difference.

2) How long have you been making, and what got you started?We started making our cards in the summer of 2017! We’re just starting out and very excited to grow.

3) What can shoppers expect to see from you this market season?We have lots of cards that are versatile for many occasions, as well as Christmas cards and a brand new tote bag!

4) What product are you most excited about right now?We are super excited about our Christmas card packs!

5) What is your biggest source of creative inspiration?The source of my inspiration stems from very funny family photos and the stories that come along with them.

2) How long have you been making, and what got you started?I've been a maker for 5+ years; I began designing about 2 years ago. While studying to become a Holistic Nutritionist I became interested in the environmental benefits of natural yarns, and in the therapeutic benefits of knitting. These interests quickly morphed into a singular passion for all things wooly.

3) What can shoppers expect to see from you this market season?Hats hats hats! Each one softer and squishier than the next. Baby alpaca, silk, llama, Merino wool, mohair, cotton....in dozens of styles and colours. Plus, a selection of super-cozy, super-snuggly wraps and cowls to keep the chill away.

4) What product are you most excited about right now?The Lighthouse Hat, for sure. Knit from a blend of cotton + Merino wool + mohair + silk, it's light, warm, and perfectly fluffy. ​

5) What is your biggest source of creative inspiration?Yarn!!! The unparalleled beauty of natural yarns--the textures, the colours--they connect me to the earth, and inspire me to create a hand-knit life rooted in kindness...to people, to animals, and to the environment.